Memories
by perscribo
Summary: At the series finale, a bomb had gone off in the lab. Brennan lost her memories, affecting her ability to do her job. What if, the memories lost were different? Would Booth and Brennan's relationship be strong enough to endure her amnesia? Another of my what if stories, taking an alternative spin to the consequences of the series finale. Chapter 10 up!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Bones. I wonder who does now actually.

 ** _I'm not sure if another writer has done this before, but this idea came to me. At the series finale, Brennan lost some of her memories. Her ability to be a forensic anthropologist mainly. What if the memories she lost were different?_**

The first sign that something was wrong with his wife was when he realized she could not remember what had happened that resulted in her being unconscious. When he found her motionless on the floor of the lab, he had thought the worst and his heart had stopped beating for a moment. He had forgot then to breathe as he hurried to her side. He could breathe again when she opened her eyes, her azure orbs staring back at him blankly. He had gently helped her sit up, allowing her to lean back against him.

"W-What happened?" She croaked, her voice weak.

"There was an explosion. Kovac planted a bomb here."

"Kovac... Do we know him? Was he a suspect in a case?"

 _She couldn't remember?_

"Yeah. He um…" Booth wasn't sure if he could afford the lengthy explanation then. "He's the suspect in the case we've been working on."

"We had a case?"

"Yeah." Booth's suspicion that something wasn't right with her seemed to be confirmed. "Bones, you sure you're feeling okay?"

"You've told me an explosion had gone off in the lab. The impact of the blast must have caused me to hit my head, giving me a concussion, since my head hurts and I don't seem to remember the explosion." She moved her body experimentally. "I don't think anything's broken. Although I am experiencing some pain, a result I assume from being thrown to the ground."

As if suddenly realizing that Booth too had been a victim of the blast, she looked at him with concern. She winced as a lancing pain stabbed her head as he turned to him. "Are you injured?"

"Me? Nah. I'm okay."

She pointed to his head. "You appear to be bleeding from a gash to your forehead."

It was only then did Booth realize he was bleeding. He touched his fingers to his head, noting the blood on his fingertips. He couldn't worry about that now, getting Brennan to safety and medical attention was his first priority.

"It's nothing Bones. Just a scratch. You've got cuts all over your face too."

"They're superficial."

The second sign that something was very wrong with his wife was when Hodgins wheeled himself towards them, Angela limping behind him.

"There you are!" Angela exclaimed. "Are you both okay?"

"I think so." Booth replied. "You?"

"I'm- I'm fine. Hodgins is too."

"Dr Hodgins!' Brennan stared at her friend as if he had grown a second head. "You're in a wheelchair!"

"Yeah?" Hodgins had a confused look on his face. He glanced at Booth.

"What happened? Was it the result of the explosion? That doesn't make any sense."

"Dr B, You don't remember that I'm paralyzed from the waist down? That was almost a year ago."

"A year ago? I – " Brennan held a hand to her head, a look of distress on her face. "I don't… I don't remember."

"Hey Bones, it's okay. You were blown up. Maybe some of your memories got scrambled or something." Booth rubbed her back soothingly. "I've seen this in some army buddies when I was in the Gulf. Memories will come back."

"Yeah. What's important is that we're all alive." Angela made her way to Brennan's side. The best friends embraced.

"You two stay here all right? Hodgins and I are gonna find a way outta here."

Booth gestured to Hodgins to follow him and they made their way towards the main entrance of the destroyed lab, away from where they had left the two women.

"We need to find a way out of here now." Booth's voice barely masked his panic. "There's obviously something wrong with Bones. She can't remember stuff. She couldn't remember why you're in a wheelchair. She could be bleeding inside her head."

"I know. I need to make sure Angie and the baby are okay too."

They approached the entrance to the lab. It was completely blocked off by debris.

"No!" Booth threw his hands up in frustration.

Hodgins accessed the damage. "This isn't good Booth. The whole structure could come down on us."

"What you think I don't know that?"

"Cam and Arastoo got out. We have to assume help is on the way."

"But will they get to us in time?" The pain from his own injuries and the worry for Brennan suddenly overwhelmed him and he collapsed onto the ground, sitting next to Hodgins.

"You okay Booth?"

"I just – This is all my fault. If anything happens to Bones, to you or Angela…"

"Hey nobody blames you man."

Booth shook his head, the action causing a wave of dizziness to wash over him. "I've got to find a way outta here."

"Then let's get to it. I know a couple of back passage ways. Maybe one of them isn't blocked."

Booth got to his feet, ignoring the pain in his chest. "Lead the way."

Half an hour later, both men came to the conclusion that there was no way out. Every possible exit route was blocked by rubble. They made their way back to the two women.

"Did you find a way out of here?" Angela asked as they approached.

"No." Hodgins replied. "But I'm sure help is on the way."

"You two are okay right?" Booth asked.

"Yes." Brennan replied. "I still can't recall many things, like the fact that Hodgins and Angela already have a child. And she's pregnant with their second."

"Right." Booth wondered why she had not asked about their children. He cast a glance at Angela, who shook her head slightly. He swallowed thickly. "We really can't stay here any longer."

As if the answer to a prayer, the sound of drilling could be heard in the distance.

"You hear that?' Hodgins asked, perking up.

"Yeah." Booth replied, hopeful. "Help is coming."

…

Two hours after the bomb had gone off, rescuers finally got the foursome out of the wreckage of the Jeffersonian Medico-legal lab.

Booth hovered protectively over Brennan as the doctor examined her in the temporary triage tent.

"There doesn't seem to be any serious damage to your head Dr Brennan."

"What?" Booth barked. "That can't be right. She can't remember stuff."

"What can't you remember Dr Brennan?" The doctor asked.

"I didn't know the extent of my amnesia. I can't remember that my friend had been paralyzed in a separate explosion and is now confined to a wheelchair. I couldn't remember that my best friend is pregnant with her second child. I can't remember the current case that my partner Agent Booth and I were working on. He seems to think it's the reason for the bomb in the lab."

 _My partner, Agent Booth?_ Booth took a step back, suddenly unsteady on his feet. Did she forget that they were married?

The doctor noticed Booth's step backwards.

"Agent Booth, you should get yourself checked by the paramedics as well. You were closet to the blast."

"He's right Booth you need to have someone look at your injuries." She seemed genuinely concerned for him. Concern for a friend or husband, he couldn't tell.

"I'm fine Bones. It's you I'm worried about."

"From my preliminary examination, Dr Brennan's life is in no immediate danger. A concussion sometimes brings on temporary amnesia. But she would need to go to the hospital where they can do a CT scan. You will get more answers then."

"Hospital. Great. I'll take her."

"Agent Booth, _you_ could be having an unknown head injury yourself. You're in no shape to drive." The doctor admonished him.

"I'm not leaving her."

"The doctor's right. You need to have someone look at your injuries." Brennan insisted. "The wound on your forehead looks like it definitely requires stitches to close it up."

"I will Bones."

The doctor sighed. "You can ride along with her in the ambulance. You can have your injuries accessed at the ER."

"Okay." Booth conceded.

He followed protectively behind as the paramedics loaded the gurney Brennan was on into the waiting ambulance. He climbed in, sitting on the bench beside her. The sirens came on and the ambulance sped off.

Booth wanted nothing more than to gather her in his arms. A short while ago, he had thought that he had lost the love of his life, but she was still here. It was her memories he wasn't sure off. He would worry about that later. She was alive and that in itself was reason to be thankful. He settled for taking her hand in his, squeezing gently.

"Everything's gonna be all right Bones."

"I admire your optimism Booth."

"Hey, nothing's gonna happen to you okay? I won't let it."

She let out a small chuckle. "You're stating the impossible."

He smiled back at her. His thoughts suddenly travelled to their two children. He needed to know they were safe. His cellphone had been destroyed in the blast. He turned to the paramedic monitoring Brennan's vital signs.

"Hey, do you have a phone I could borrow?"

The paramedic handed Booth his cellphone.

"I'm just gonna call Aubrey, make sure Hank and Christine are okay." He mentioned their names reflexively without much thought as to her current state of amnesia.

"Who's Aubrey? And who are Hank and Christine?"

Her words felt like a blow to his gut. He was suddenly out of breath. She didn't remember their children?!

"They ah – " Booth was at a loss for words. He was bordering on full blown panic. "I'll explain later."

He glanced at the paramedic, worried that Brennan's life was in danger. "How long more till we get to the hospital?"

"ETA is approximately ten minutes."

"And you're sure she's okay?"

"Her vital signs are stable."

"I'm fine Booth." She squeezed his hand.

"I'm ah… I'm just gonna make a call Bones."

It was a short phone call to Aubrey who had made his way back to the Hoover after Booth and Brennan had been rescued. Aubrey confirmed that the children were safe. That was all Booth needed to hear at that moment.

"Bones and I are on our way to the hospital." He glanced at Brennan who seemed to be listening intently to his conversation. "Listen Aubrey, I think you're gonna have to keep Hank and Christine with you, at least until we're cleared to go home… I appreciate that."

Hanging up he returned the cellphone to the paramedic. He focused his attention back on Brennan.

"Everything okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. We'll be at the hospital soon. They'll figure out what's wrong with you."

"You should let the doctors have a look at you too."

"I'm fine… Bones um, what year do you think we're in?"

Brennan stared at him with concern. "Are you experiencing amnesia too?"

"No, no. I just wanted to check cause, you know, you can't remember stuff."

"It's the year 2017 Booth. That I'm sure of."

"Not wrong there Bones." He offered her a small smile. "Let's just get you checked out first okay?"

He felt the ambulance slow and pull up to the hospital. The ambulance doors were flung open and Booth climbed out, watching as the ER trauma team wheeled his wife away. He had more questions than he had answers. He hoped the doctors would be able to answer them.

He heard a voice next to him. "Sir, you look like you need some help yourself."

Booth turned, suddenly feeling a little lost. A nurse in scrubs was addressing him. She placed a hand on his elbow, attempting to lead him into the ER.

"I just – I just need my wife to be okay."

"She's in good hands."

"Look, no offense, I know you mean well but… just let me make sure she's okay first. Please?"

The nurse nodded. "I'll take you to the waiting area. We'll have some paperwork for you to fill out."


	2. Chapter 2

**_A GREAT BIG thank you to each and everyone of you who reviewed and all the positive responses to the first chapter. It's much appreciated. As many of you so aptly pointed out, this is one tricky situation, and so many possible things to consider and things that could work against them. All of which our fave couple would have to encounter in the coming chapters._**

 ** _Thank you for your patience, waiting for this next chapter._**

The necessary paperwork filled out, Booth sat in the ER waiting area, praying that Brennan would be all right. His leg bounced up and down nervously, as he waited anxiously for any word on his wife.

"Seeley."

Booth looked up. It was Cam. She quickly took the seat next to him, pulling him to her for a hug.

"You okay?"

"Yes."

"Arastoo, he's okay too right?"

"Yes, we both got out in time."

"Good. That's good."

"I've brought you and Dr Brennan a change of clothes. From the back of your truck."

"Thanks."

"Any word on Dr Brennan?"

"They've just sent her for a CT scan. To make sure her head's okay."

"I'm sure she will be. Speaking of which, I heard you haven't had someone look at you?"

Booth didn't reply.

"Seeley…"

"Look, I wanna be here. If her attending doctor needs to talk to me…"

"They know you're her husband. They'll know how to find you."

Booth hung his head, clearly upset. "You know she didn't know who Hank and Christine were?"

Cam seemed stunned for a moment. "She's probably had a concussion. Her memories will come back."

"And if they don't?"

"This isn't the time to speculate. You need to make sure you're okay. How else can you take care of Dr Brennan? It'll only take a couple of minutes to have you checked. This wound on your forehead definitely needs stitches. Half your face is covered in dried blood. You look a mess. You don't want her to see you like this do you?"

Booth sighed. "Fine. But promise me Cam, you'll come get me if you know anything."

"I promise Seeley."

…

Booth was getting the last stitch to his forehead in when Cam reappeared next to him.

"They're done examining Dr Brennan."

Booth moved to sit up but Cam kept a firm hand on his shoulder. "Let the nice resident finish up here. Won't take more than another minute or two. You've got a couple of cracked ribs. Not to mention numerous bruises and contusions. You should try to move a little slower. Don't want to aggravate the rib injuries. And get changed into the clothes I brought you. I'll be waiting outside."

Booth sighed exaggeratedly. "Yes Mom."

Minutes later, Booth joined Cam and the doctor who attended to Brennan at the waiting area.

"How's my wife?" Booth asked.

"CT scans are clear. She has no broken bones from the explosion. Her injuries are superficial, some cuts and scrapes which we've cleaned up."

"Her memories?" Booth frowned.

"She's orientated to time and place. Yet she is unable to recall certain details about her life."

"Like?"

"She couldn't recall what she was doing before the explosion went off. She appeared shocked when I informed her that you, her husband, was waiting outside."

"You told her what?!" Booth clenched his fists in anger, unsure as to why he was so upset.

"I had to determine what memories she had retained."

Booth blew out a frustrated breath. "I figured she didn't remember this part of her life while we were in the ambulance. I wanted to be the one to break the news to her."

"She would find out eventually. You'd be taking her back to your house once she's released for home. She would've figured everything out." Cam added.

"Yes her intellect seems unaffected." The doctor added. "She knows she's a forensic anthropologist with the Jeffersonian who works with the FBI."

"So her brain's fine but she still can't remember stuff?"

"She suffered a traumatic blow to her head. Her skull is cracked but fortunately there is no intracranial bleeding."

"She isn't bleeding inside her head." Cam explained.

"I understood that. So these memories she's lost, will she get them back?"

"She may or may not. Once her physical injuries are healed, seeing a psychologist may help if she has not recovered her memories by then. In the next few days to weeks, being around things that are familiar to her may trigger her memories to return. What's important is that we do not rush her."

Booth nodded as if trying to convince himself. "Guys I knew when I served in the Gulf War, those who got blown up, most of them got their memories back. Bones will too."

Booth ran a hand through his hair, wincing. His own head was hurting.

"We can release your wife into your care tonight. I'll give you a list of things to look out for, if anything changes you should bring her back. Unless you're too injured yourself to keep an eye on her, we can keep the both of you here for the night."

"No. I'm fine. I can take care of her."

"It might be wise to stay the night Seeley."

"No, Cam, I'm fine. I can take care of her. I think Bones would prefer to go home anyway, being around stuff that can help her remember." He turned back to the attending doctor, wanting to be sure. "You're absolutely sure she's okay? I mean she still can't remember stuff, but you say her brain's not damaged or something. Shouldn't you be like keeping a close watch on her?"

"Her scans are clear. We have no medical reason to keep her here. I'll schedule an appointment for her to see Dr Crawford in a couple of days. He's one of the best neurologists we have."

"And her life isn't in any danger right? I don't have to keep her awake for twenty-four hours?"

"No. She can sleep if she wants to. She'll need her rest. She's medically stable. Give her some time. Be patient with her Agent Booth."

"I'm always patient with her." Booth glared angrily at the attending doctor.

"I'm sure you are." The doctor replied. "You can go see her now. I'll get a nurse to bring the release papers for you to sign."

"Thank you." Cam nodded to the doctor as he made his way to his other patients. She turned to Booth.

"You okay?"

"I don't know. I just – " Booth drew in a deep breath, the action exacerbating the pain in his chest. He was suddenly scared she would reject him, just like she had so many years ago outside the Hoover when he had first asked her for a chance to be together.

"You love her, that's all she needs right now."

"Yeah. You're right. It'll be okay." In that moment Booth resolved that he would remain optimistic for them. He would do everything in his might to help her regain her memories. And even if she didn't he would take the time to re-build their relationship again. He worried about their children. He remembered that in the past, she didn't want to have any children. He pushed the thought aside. He would worry about one thing at a time.

"Angela and Hodgins are still pretty banged up from the blast. If you could give a hand to Aubrey? He'll keep Hank and Christine with him for tonight. Maybe even tomorrow night. I'll come by, see them tomorrow. And we've still got Kovac to catch."

"Everyone loves your children. They'll be okay. And we're all going to keep working on catching Kovac so he can't hurt anyone else again."

"Thank you."

"You should go to her."

"Yeah." Booth sighed. "If you find anything..."

"You'll be the first to know if anything new comes up."

Booth nodded his thanks and turned, slowly making his way towards Brennan's room. Cam stared at the back of her long-time friend. At that moment, he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

…

Booth took a breath, steadying himself for what lay ahead. He cautiously knocked on the door of Brennan's hospital room before entering.

"Hey." His voice was soft, conveying all his love and concern.

Brennan who was sitting on the bed, looked up at him. The cuts and bruises were still on her face, and her lip had been split open. The sight of her in the hospital gown looking visibly upset, sent an ache to Booth's heart. He wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and comfort her but he held back.

She blinked back tears. "So apparently, you're more than my partner now."

Booth took a tentative step towards her. "Yeah."

"I don't remember…"

Booth sat down cautiously beside her on the bed. "You know what? That's okay. Doc said you'll get your memories back."

"This is all very overwhelming for me right now."

"I know."

Brennan held up her left hand. Her wedding ring was no longer on her finger. "The nurse had me remove all metallic objects on me before the CT scan. I wondered as to that ring."

"Yeah um, they returned all your stuff to me."

"I can't believe we got married. I actually agreed to marry you?"

"I didn't force you to marry me if that's what you're thinking." Booth chuckled.

She still wore a perplexed look on her face.

"You know what? Sometimes, I wake up in the morning and I look at you, and you're still asleep next to me… I can hardly believe it myself." He offered her an encouraging smile. They had come a long way since starting off as partners. _She_ had come a long way since thinking that marriage was an archaic institution.

"When did we get married?"

"October 21st, 2013."

She remained silent. Booth waited for her to process the information.

"That was four years ago."

Booth nodded. "Best day of my life."

She shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry. I can't remember anything about that day."

Booth took her hand, interlinking their fingers. He was relieved that she didn't pull her hand away. "There's nothing to be sorry about. It'll all come back."

"I assume we have intercourse fairly regularly."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Booth let out a small laugh. "Yeah, we do."

There was silence again and he knew the wheels in that brilliant brain of hers were turning.

"Given that fact, it would be safe to assume that we have children. Those names you spoke of in the ambulance, Aubrey, Hank and Christine. We have three children together?"

Booth nodded. "Three yes. Parker, Christine and Hank. Not Aubrey. He's my partner."

"I thought I was your partner?" Brennan looked at him with a look of hurt.

"Look Bones, it's a long story okay? Doc said I shouldn't rush you."

"I do know who Parker is. However, I have no recollection of ever being pregnant, let alone giving birth to two children."

Booth had initially thought of withholding the fact that they had children from her. He had hoped the memories would return soon enough, sparing him the need to explain things to her. He realized he could not when he knew he had to take her home that night. Reminders that they had two young children were all over their house. Just like in the ambulance, he squeezed her hand gently.

"It'll be okay." He wasn't sure if he was reassuring her alone.

She swiped at a tear that fell. "We named our daughter after my mother."

"Yeah."

"What kind of mother forgets her own children?"

"Look Bones, you were in an explosion. These things happen. Let me take you home, maybe after a night's sleep in our bed, it'll all come back to you in the morning. That is, if you wanna come home?"

Booth held his breath. He wondered what he would do if she didn't want to go home to their house.

"It would be safe to assume that I would have no place else to go other than our house. Letting you take me home would be the logical thing to do."

Booth released the breath he was holding, again thankful for what he perceived to be a small victory in their current seemingly bleak situation.

Brennan stared at Booth, snapping herself out of her feelings of helplessness. She had always cared deeply for him that much she felt sure of. She gently touched the bandage that covered his newly stitched forehead. Booth's eyes prickled with tears at her gesture. He had been afraid he had lost her love.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's nothing. A scratch."

"Other than that? Did they check you for an intracranial hemorrhage too? You had brain surgery before."

They simultaneously realized that she had remembered his brain surgery. She smiled and he smiled back.

"You remembered. That's good."

"I did remember that incident, but you didn't answer my question."

"My head's okay. Cam brought you a change of clothes. I'll wait outside while you get dressed. Then we can go home." Booth stood, handing Brennan the bag of clothes Cam had brought.

"Why? I would assume that as my husband you've seen me without any clothes on countless times."

"I have but… I just… I'm not sure… you still think I'm just your partner, right?"

"That is what my brain is telling me, yes."

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable. That is, unless you want me to stay?"

"I'm not sure what I want any more Booth."

She looked so sad and lost. Booth knew he shouldn't but he reached for her and held her tightly to him. They shared hugs as partners in the past and he felt confident she wouldn't reject his offer of comfort at this time. She squeezed him tightly, as if drawing much needed encouragement from him. Despite the pain from his cracked ribs, Booth took heart in her actions. They were the centre and they always held.

"I'll be outside." Booth said as they broke the hug, turning to leave the room, giving her the privacy to get dressed.


	3. Chapter 3

**_A HUGE whopping list of thank yous coming up: LoveShipper,_** ** _RobinAngelena_** ** _,_** ** _Nelapl,_** ** _mei,_** ** _bookwormlady (the Kovac issue will be addressed soon), Lauwy (if it wasn't the series finale this would have been an interesting story arc to explore),_** ** _GalaxieGurl_** ** _(agree, if tables were turned, she would do the same for him, children would be making an appearance soon too!), hushedgreylily (you're right there), YellowShadess, aadams00 (sweet moments ahead yes, but it'll take awhile to get there), FicFanofFanFic (your username is such a tongue twister! Lol! Clever), gatewatcher, wentzer, dms517 (yes quite the ride coming up), adorkablesalad (don't worry the center will hold), FaithinBones (yes Cam is a good friend. I like how she too had evolved as the show progressed), ZinaR_** ** _,_** ** _jsboneslover (true that), yoshimi0701._**

 ** _Almost all of you have mentioned how sad and angsty this story could be, and you're right. But not all hope is lost. For this story, I had intended that Brennan's amnesia be based on this premise. She might have forgotten her life with Booth before her amnesia, but her life and marriage to him had changed her as a person. She's no longer the Brennan we know in the earlier seasons. As such, her changed personality and certain character traits are still there, despite her amnesia._**

 ** _Anyway enough of that A/N, back to the story._**

Brennan was silent for the entire journey home. Booth glanced over at her now and then but she remained deep in thought, staring out the window. He left her to her thoughts, hoping that she would remember. She spoke only as they pulled up to their house.

"This house looks nice."

"Yeah you were the one who chose it. You have good taste."

"You had no say in our choice of residence?"

"I was – " He stopped. If she didn't remember that they were married, then she wouldn't have remembered that he had been incarcerated for a time. Thinking back he marvelled at how much they had gone through as a couple.

"That's… another long story for another time."

Brennan blew out a breath in frustration. "You keep saying that but I feel as if there're so many gaps in my memory. How am I supposed to regain what I've lost if you keep withholding facts from me?!"

"You're right. You are. But it really is a long story and I'd rather not tell you about it while we're sitting out here in the car."

He knew telling her about his time in prison would involve telling her about Sweets' death. He didn't want to shock her with the fact then. He wasn't sure if she remembered that.

"Fine." She threw open the car door, hugging herself as she stalked towards the front door.

Booth killed the engine before climbing out to join her. He couldn't help but notice that she was distancing herself physically from him. He pushed the hurt aside. His cracked ribs bothering him and the stitches to his forehead stinging, he gingerly climbed out of the truck after her.

Opening their front door, he let her enter their house first. Closing the door behind him, he watched from a distance as she slowly made her way through the family room, then the kitchen. He hoped desperately that something would trigger a memory. She stopped at a framed photograph of Parker and Christine that was on the mantle above the fireplace. It had been taken recently when Parker visited for Thanksgiving.

"Parker's grown so much. He looks a lot like you." She observed. She ran a finger over Christine's face. "This little girl must be Christine. She looks familiar but I'm not sure if it's because I remember her or if it's because she resembles me."

"I'd like to think it's a little bit of both." Booth approached her slowly.

She replaced the photograph and reached for a framed baby picture of Hank. "Our son. Hank."

"Yeah."

"He has the same zygomatic arch as you." She ran a finger down Hank's face. "He's very cute."

"Yeah well he has good looking parents."

She put the photograph back in its place. She turned. Now face to face, she rested her palms on his chest. Booth thought he might cry. She was touching him with affection. The coldness he had felt from her seemed to have vanished.

"I wish I could say these objects brought back a memory, even a small one, but they don't! Photographs of my children don't evoke any reaction inside me." She was blinking back tears again. "I feel a sense of affection towards you and yet it feels so foreign. I feel like I'm not me."

"You're still the Temperance Brennan that I love." Booth offered softly, holding his breath. He had not dared to use the L-word until then.

"I've always known that you loved me."

"And I always will."

"That night outside the Hoover building, after we talked to Sweets, you asked for a chance."

"You remember that? That's really good."

She looked at him with tears glistening in her eyes. "I told you I didn't know how to change. I said no."

"Yeah you did."

"Rejecting you hurt."

"I know. Hurt both of us."

"Was that why you chose a new partner?"

"Who Aubrey? No, no, no. You're still my partner, but so is Aubrey. You had the kids and you stayed in the lab more. Sweets, he partnered me up with Aubrey. He's a good kid. Our children love him. He's a great babysitter."

She turned her head, surveying her surroundings. "Hank and Christine, they're not here?"

"They'll be staying with Uncle Aubrey tonight."

"Dad must be out of town. I assume he helps us with the child-minding while we work?"

Booth's heart seized. She didn't remember that Max was dead. Max was dead and it was his fault. She was already keeping him at arm's length, he feared she would leave him if she realized Max was dead because of him.

"Yeah something like that."

He couldn't believe he had just lied to her. After he had gambled, he swore that he would never lie to her again. And now, there he was lying to her. His next thought was that she had probably forgotten that he had gambled. Another strike against him. Their love had been strong enough to withstand his relapse with his gambling addiction. He had to believe that their love was strong enough to withstand this.

"Bones, what do you remember about us?"

"I remember that night, when you asked for a chance for us to be togther. I remember us trying to move on, dating other people. I remember Heather Taffet's trial. We put her away."

"We did. Do you remember Maluku?"

"Does that Indonesian Island have significance in our relationship?"

The realization struck Booth. Her memories of them stopped at the point when she said that she needed time and space from him and what they did, that night after The Gravedigger's trial.

"I'm just trying to figure out what you remember." This fact he could tell her with ease. "There was some important anthropological find in Maluku. You went there with Daisy for almost a year."

"Did we discover anything of significance? And why of all my interns did I choose Daisy?"

Booth quirked a smile. "I think she was asked to be part of the team and you invited yourself to join. You returned not really finding anything."

"And you? I don't think you went with me."

"I went to Afghanistan to train soldiers while you were there."

"You went back to the Army?! I thought you hated being a sniper?"

"Yeah. I didn't really go back to being a sniper… I'm here now aren't I? Nothing bad happened to me if that's what you're worried about."

"That is what I was worried about, but you appear none the worse for your time there."

She didn't know about him and Hannah. Booth felt like he could've kicked himself. They actually got married and had two children together given how he had messed up their relationship in the past. He was again reminded of how lucky he was.

"I don't seem to be able to recall anything that happened after that time." Her hands pushed against his cracked ribs and he winced.

The expression on his face didn't escape her. "Your ribs are broken! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Cracked, not broken."

"Anything else I should know?"

"No, no. Just the stitches and the cracked ribs."

"Did they prescribe you anything for the pain?" She pointed at his head.

"I didn't want any. I gotta stay alert. Keep an eye on you. You know how I get on pain meds."

"Oh Booth." Brennan sighed.

"It's really no big deal."

"I- I'm grateful you're here with me now, helping me."

"You're my wife. I love you. I'd die for you."

Brennan nodded. It was a fact she had come to accept as the night wore on. That she was married to the man she had been afraid to admit she was in love with. She surmised that she must have admitted to the fact that she loved him, since they did get married in the end.

"It's been a really long day and the doc said you needed to rest. I'll show you our bedroom. Maybe everything would come back in the morning." If her memories came back he knew he would have a lot less explaining to do. He didn't like that he seemed to be piling lie upon lie to what he was telling her.

Brennan allowed him to take her hand and lead her to their bedroom.

"Your pyjamas are in here." Booth opened the drawers next to their bed. "I'll sleep in Parker's room tonight."

"Why?"

"I guess, cause you still don't think we're married. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or weird."

"We've posed as husband and wife while we were undercover before. The circus remember?" She smiled, as if proud of herself for remembering.

Booth smiled back. "Buck and Wanda. I remember."

"We're married. It's a fact. A fact I find I am not that averse to. You can sleep on the same bed as me Booth. I won't be uncomfortable."

"Okay." Booth felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

…

Morning came and Booth almost instinctively reached for Brennan as his consciousness slowly woke him. Almost. His aching body reminded him of the blast and also of her memory loss. He waited for her to wake, hoping her memories had come back. He watched as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Mornin'."

"Good morning."

He waited, hoping.

"I know what you're hoping for." Brennan sighed. "It's still not coming back."

Booth sat up, disappointed. His ribs reminded him that they were still healing. He grimaced. "Look that's okay. Let's give it some time. Sleep okay?"

"Yes." She sat up, taking in her surroundings. Her voice hitched in excitement. "I remember your bedroom, in your old apartment! I came to you one night… I was dressed in your clothes… I was very upset. I remember that!"

"That's kinda a sad memory. I'm sorry that's the first thing you remember."

"Times of great emotional upheaval tend to be etched more firmly in our memories."

"Anything else you remember?"

"I know I cried, and you took me in your arms…" her cheeks flushed, bringing a rosy color to her pale face. She smiled shyly at him. "We had intercourse. Our first time together."

Booth smiled back at her. "Yeah. That's probably a good memory to get back. Us making love for the first time. That was probably the night you got pregnant with Christine. That night or the night after."

"Did we get married because I was pregnant?"

"Nah. I wanted to marry you but you still didn't believe in marriage then. We got married cause we both wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. We were… we are in love. We weren't together because you got pregnant. We got together because of what happened, what you were upset about. You told me you were pregnant after we had been seeing each other for awhile."

"Can you tell me why I was upset? When I went to you that night. The reason we started a relationship."

Booth sighed. "You sure you wanna hear this?"

"Yes."

Booth went on to describe Vincent's death. He told her about Broadsky and about how they had decided to get together after he had been killed by a bullet that was meant for Booth. The had lost a friend and were tired of holding back from each other because of their fears. Life was too short not to give themselves a shot at happiness.

After he finished talking, he held her as she wept for the intern she had lost. He hated that she had to relive that pain.

 ** _So FOX is giving the X-Files another new season after so many years. I still hanging on to the hope that Bones would get a chance to be revived. As always, don't forget to review and a Blessed Christmas and an awesome 2018 to everyone in FanFic-land!_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Happy New Year! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave a review._** ** _FaithinBones_** ** _(thank you. Yes you're right, it's a great weight on Booth to bear),_** ** _554Laura (yes it is very to her, especially since she's always so in control of things), gatewatcher, LoveShipper (her reunion with her kids isn't in this chapter but will happen soon),_** ** _Felinxx (yes it's very hard on them both), Moniurek,_** ** _Victoria_** ** _(thanks! I get what's you're saying and I have something like that planned but not exactly), aadams00_** **** ** _(true that), ZinaR, kareneb (yes, of course there's more), regbride12 (you're right the show could have gone on for many more years), yoshimi0701 (coming in later chapters), pauchacottle, Sofia (great idea, something I didn't think of, I haven't decided yet if I would add that in), lonelybacon_** ** _,_** ** _adorkablesalad (you're right on having theat faith),_** ** _Becksbones and all other guests._**

Booth held Brennan in his arms on their bed, waiting for her tears to stop flowing, allowing her to process the memory of Vincent's death.

"Thank you for being honest with me." She sniffed, noting that she had left a wet patch of her tears on his t-shirt.

"Yeah." Booth swallowed. He didn't dare tell her he was still withholding many other things from her. "At least you remembered something. Do you remember what happened after that? Like when you were pregnant with Christine?"

"No. I recall making love to you, the emotions, the sensations, the exhilaration. Just the events of that night. That's all."

"That's a start." Booth rubbed her back soothingly. "Why don't you get dressed? I'll make us breakfast."

Booth made her pancakes and waffles paired with her favorite fruits for breakfast. They ate in companionable silence. Their friendship had always been the cornerstone of their partnership and Booth was grateful that despite her memory loss, that was something that remained intact.

After breakfast, Booth retrieved the small bag the hospital had given to him the night before. Opening it he poured the contents onto the center island in the kitchen where Brennan was sitting at.

"The stuff you had to remove, cause of the scan."

"My earrings." She picked them up then put them back on the counter. "Mom's ring." She slipped it back on to her right ring finger.

She cautiously picked up the last metallic object on the counter. "Our wedding ring I presume."

"Yeah." Booth held up his left hand showing her his matching ring.

"I think I'll refrain from wearing this for now."

Her words felt like a stab to his heart. She noticed his hurt look.

"It's not that I object to being married to you. As I told you last night, I've come to accept the fact that we're husband and wife. If I were to be entirely honest with myself, given my current state of amnesia, if I had to be told I was married to someone… I'm glad that someone is you."

Booth grinned. "You have no idea how happy hearing you say that makes me feel."

"Although I still can't fathom how and why I agreed to get married."

"Hey like I said, I didn't force you. I mean it's not like I could ever make you do anything you didn't want to."

"I'd like you to tell me why soon. That is, if my memories don't return."

"They will Bones. They will."

She smiled cautiously at him. "When my memories return, you'll slip this ring onto my finger just like you did on our wedding day. For now, I'll wear it round my neck. I have a necklace I can use to attach it to."

"I really hope I get to put that ring back on your finger soon."

"Me too."

"I was scared that when you forgot that we were married, you'd freak out and leave me or something."

Brennan shook her head. "The memories are gone but the emotions, the feelings, this familiarity, they're bubbling at the edge of my subconscious. When I'm with you, I feel a sense of security, of affection and intimacy. So no. I'm not going to leave you. From what I can see, we had… we have built a happy life together. There's evidence of it all around me. It would be callous of me to throw it all away."

Booth reached for her hand. "I'm just…" He blinked back tears, the emotions he had been holding in threatening to overflow. "I'm real happy."

Brennan's face changed, betraying her frustration. "It's still not coming back." She pointed at her head, fighting back tears. "I had hoped the amnesia would be gone by now."

Booth made his way round the counter, taking her into his arms. He was grateful she had not rejected his hugs thus far. "We'll give it a couple more days."

"What if it never comes back?"

Booth rested his hands on her shoulders, demanding her attention. "Hey look at me. It will all right? It will. And no matter what happens, no matter how long it takes, I'm not going anywhere. I love you. Nothing's gonna change that. I wanna spend the rest of my life with you."

She offered him a small smile. He smiled back. He wanted to reassure her of his love so he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Thankfully she did not push him away.

After a moment in his arms, Brennan's face turned serious. "This case we had been working on, it's still unsolved? We have yet to catch the person responsible for the bombing."

"Yeah."

"Then I'd like to get back to working on it."

"No Bones, you need to rest. You trained your interns well. Let them do the job."

"Memories of my professional abilities are intact. Perhaps working on something familiar will trigger the return of memories I've lost."

What she was saying made sense. Booth had also wanted to check in at the FBI. He wanted to see their children.

"Right okay. I'll drop you off at the lab. Cam texted me to say they've got some equipment and you can get some work done there. I'll give you a ride then I'll head to the FBI. I – " Booth paused. He didn't want her to feel guilty. "Hank and Christine miss us. They're there with Aubrey now."

"I should imagine they do. Children would naturally miss their parents when separated from them."

"You're an amazing Mom, you know that? You really are. You may not remember it but our kids love you, very much."

"Perhaps you can bring them home tonight. Maybe seeing them in person would help me remember."

Booth was hesitant. What if she rejected them or kept her distance from them? He didn't want them to learn of their mother's amnesia. He didn't want them inadvertently hurt. As if reading his thoughts she replied, "If I don't remember them, I might behave differently from how I normally do when I'm with them. But I would most certainly not reject them. I remember how I felt when my parents left me. I won't be like them."

Booth nodded. "Yeah I guess a couple of hours home with you wouldn't hurt."

…

Booth strode into his office after leaving Brennan at the wrecked lab. The building had been certified structurally sound and the team were allowed to continue working there. He pushed the worry that Brennan would find out about Kovac, and how Max died while she worked there, aside. He chose to focus on his children. He had missed them just as they had missed him. Both children ran into his arms the moment they saw him.

"Hey you two! How was spending the night with Uncle Aubrey?"

"He let us have snacks before bed. Gummy bears!" Christine smiled at her father.

Booth glanced up at Aubrey.

"Extenuating circumstances. The little guy wanted his Mommy."

Booth nodded his understanding. "Just that once okay Christine?"

"Mommy?" Hank asked.

"She's workin' Tiger but you'll get to see her later okay?" Booth kissed Hank on the head. "Whatcha got here?"

The little boy took his father's outstretched finger and led him towards their toys. Booth sat down on the floor of his office next to the pile of Duplo bricks.

"We're building a city." Christine explained, sitting cross-legged next to her father.

"Can I help?"

"Yeah!" Both children replied.

An hour later, with his children engrossed in their block city, Booth slipped out of his office to have a word with Aubrey.

"So how's Dr Brennan?"

Booth shook his head. "She still can't remember. She's like lost a couple of years of our lives together. She can't remember we're married. Can't remember having kids."

"What?!"

Booth sighed. "Yeah. But she wants to see them. She figured maybe seeing them would help her remember."

Aubrey nodded. "Makes sense. You know I'm here to babysit for as long as you need."

"Thanks."

Booth's phone rang. It was Angela. They had a location on Kovac.

"Time to go catch the guy who is responsible for Max's death."

"I'll come with you."

"Thanks Aubrey." Booth nodded. "Let me go say goodbye."

He re-entered his office.

"Listen, Daddy's gotta go do some work but I'll be back okay?"

"Don't go Daddy!" Christine insisted.

"You know what? You and your brother, you're real important to me. But what Daddy's gotta do, it's important too. And what I really need you to help me do, is to be brave like I know you are okay?"

Christine nodded. "Promise you'll come back?"

"Promise. You two be good for Agent Lang all right?" He nodded at the female FBI Agent waiting outside his office. His children would be protected until Kovac was caught.

"Uncle Aubrey?" Christine asked.

"He's coming to help me with my work."

"Mommy." Hank said.

"I want Mommy too." Christine added, trying to be brave, just like her father told her to be.

"Mommy and Daddy are workin' real hard to catch a bad guy."

"And you won't let him hurt you right? I don't want you or Mommy to go to heaven like Grandpa."

Booth gathered his daughter into his arms, holding her tightly to him, his heart aching at how much she had been through.

"I'll be okay Sweetheart. I promise." He kissed her on her head. "I love you Christine."

"I love you too Daddy."

He reached for Hank, grateful that he was too young to understand much. He pressed a kiss to his son's chubby cheek. "I love you very much too Hank."

…

Angela went in search of Brennan as she got off the phone with Booth. She found her sitting in a corner of what used to be her office. Booth had explained the state of her best friend's memories to her that morning when he dropped her off at the lab.

"How are you holding up Sweetie?"

"Booth has gone off to arrest Kovac?"

"Yes. He's going with Aubrey and a team of agents."

Brennan nodded. She closed her eyes and sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "I should be going with him. I'm his partner. He needs me to back him up. I've always done so."

"He knows that Bren. But he's going with Aubrey. You may not remember but he'll gladly take a bullet for Booth. He's a good friend."

"I'm still worried for Booth's safety."

"He'll be fine..."

"How are you and the baby doing?"

"We're good."

"It must have been hard. Whatever happened to Hodgins such that he's confined to a wheelchair now."

Angela nodded. "It was very hard. But we got through it. You and Booth will get through this too. You guys always do."

"It's comforting being here. Despite the fact that my office is a mess and that the bone room has bones strewn all over the floor. It would take a long time to catalogue everything and put each piece back where it belongs. But at least here, everything is familiar. I know what is needed of me, I know how to do my job. I… " Brennan closed her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek. "I don't know if I still know how to be a wife and mother, Angela."

Angela wrapped an arm round Brennan's shoulders. "I don't think there's a specific way to be. You've always done an amazing job at both by the way. Christine and Hank are very lucky to have you."

"This current case involving Kovac, it has something to do with Booth's past as a sniper. Kovac wants revenge for Booth taking his father's life. I've gathered that from my work on the case."

"Yes." Angela wondered if Brennan remembered that Max was dead. She decided not to probe her best friend about it. "He's worried you'll blame him for everything that's happened. You losing your memory, mostly."

Brennan shook her head. "I don't blame him."

"Then you should tell him that."

"I will. When I get an opportunity."


	5. Chapter 5

**_Everyone who reviewed thank you._** ** _LoveShipper, kareneb (yes it will be), Felinxx_** **** ** _(fast enough?),_** ** _aadams00 (there's more angst in store unfortunately), GalaxieGurl_** **** ** _(glad the holiday busyness is over for you, aplomb, I've used that word before :) and thank you for your kind review, ZinaR_** ** _,_** ** _554Laura (yeah trip down memory lane for Brennan and us!), FaithinBones (Angela was intuitive enough to know that she should allow Booth to handle recounting such a delicate memory),_** ** _jsboneslover (yes she will!),_** **** ** _Nelapl_** ** _,_** ** _yoshimi0701 (maybe not yet)._** ** _I'm truly grateful for all your support._**

Booth had always feared that his past would come back to haunt him. It had. But now, Kovac had perished in a ball of fire. The threat had been neutralized. Booth could now focus all his energy on helping Brennan get her memory back. He could concentrate on rebuilding what his past actions had destroyed.

He opened the front door of his house with trepidation that night. Christine had immediately squirmed past him and Hank struggled to free his little hand from his father's grasp, wanting to follow her. Hank succeeded in slipping his chubby hand from Booth's and the boy ran off, hot on the heels of his big sister.

"Christine, Hank!" Booth called after his children. "Remember what I told you in the car. Mommy's hurt and she isn't really herself now."

The children appeared not to heed their father's warning.

"Mommy!" Christine flung herself into Brennan's arms.

Brennan managed to catch the little girl. The feeling of the child in her arms sent warm, soothing sensations to her heart. She couldn't help but smile.

"I missed you Mommy!"

Brennan felt a rush of sadness and love course through her as the little girl held her tightly. She felt an affection for the child, similar to what she felt for Booth, and wished she remembered what it was like to be her mother.

"Mommy!" Hank cried, his arms reaching for her.

Brennan released Christine from her arms, welcoming Hank with a hug. If there was anything different about her, the children had not seemed to pick up on it in those first few moments of their reunion. It was a bittersweet moment. She had always remembered being alone. And now she had the family she always wanted, only she had no memory of how it all happened. Her children obviously adored her like Booth had reminded her. She studied their eager little faces. It was evident from their bone structure that they were indeed progeny of Booth and herself.

Booth walked up to her, a skinny man in a similar black FBI t-shirt behind him.

Brennan rose to her feet, Hank on her hips. Things looked as if nothing had changed. For a moment, Booth hoped her memory had returned.

"Agent Aubrey I presume?"

She still had amnesia.

"Yeah." Aubrey shrugged. "I'm feeling a little déjà vu here."

"Thank you for backing Booth up."

"He'll do the same for me."

There was a moment of awkward silence. Hank rested his head on Brennan's chest, the little boy unaware of his mother's amnesia. The feeling of his head on her felt strange and new to Brennan, but she realized didn't dislike it.

"Umm, you know what? Aubrey's hungry." Booth clapped his hands together.

Christine giggled. "Uncle Aubrey's always hungry."

"He is?" Brennan asked.

"Yes Mommy. Did you forget? You always make a lot more food when he comes over for dinner."

"I did forget that." Brennan admitted to the little girl.

"Why? Daddy says Mommy's like an elephant. You never forget."

Brennan stared at Christine, unsure how to reply to that.

"But that doesn't matter Christine. How about pizza for everyone huh?" Booth asked, quickly changing the subject back to food.

"I'm in." Aubrey replied.

"Me too." Christine jumped up and down excitedly.

"Great. I'll order." Booth pulled out his phone.

Brennan watched the scene before her. They had built a happy life together with close friends. The fact that she could not remember any of it was frustrating.

The evening passed by all too quickly in what she assumed was a regular occurrence in the Booth household. The situation was familiar yet new. The children clearly enjoyed being with their parents and Aubrey was all too happy to take a back seat, helping himself to slice after slice of pizza. And then the evening ended. Christine and Hank were to spend another night with Uncle Aubrey.

"Can't we stay home tonight please?" Christine pleaded with Brennan.

Her daughter's words suddenly triggered a memory. Christine by the couch, pleading for her father to be allowed to stay the night. She remembered she was pregnant then but Booth was not living with them. She wondered what had caused their separation. An image of Booth asking her to be allowed to fix his mistake flashed in her mind. She remembered she had been insistent. She had threw him out. What did he do to warrant that? She stared at Booth. He looked back at her, a look of curiosity on his face.

"You know what Christine? One more night okay? You guys can come home tomorrow. Mommy and Daddy have a lot of work to do."

"I'll let you guys watch cartoons before bed." Aubrey bribed them.

"Mommy…" Hank whined reaching for her.

"How about Daddy drives you guys over to Uncle Aubrey's huh? I'll even put you little monsters to bed there."

The children seemed pacified. He turned to Brennan. "I'll be right back."

"Drive safely." She nodded to Booth as he gathered their children, helping them into their jackets.

Her observations from the night allowed her to conclude that Booth was a good father. She had always known that. After all, she had observed him with Parker. She surmised that she had chosen wisely in whom she would procreate with. She hugged her children and Booth left with them, leaving her alone in the now silent house.

She made her way to the couch. Sitting down, she remembered the feeling of betrayal that accompanied the memory that just returned. A sensation of immense hurt and pain. Had he been unfaithful to her? Why else would she have kicked him out? An image of a blonde woman flashed in her mind. The blonde looking happily at Booth. She had watched as Booth shared a kiss with the woman. She couldn't believe the Booth she knew would do such a thing. Knowing that whatever her brain was choosing to recall was unreliable, she decided she would clarify it with him when he returned.

Trying hard to push the unpleasant memories aside, a black notebook partially hidden under a pile of newspapers caught her eye. She reached for it. The first page contained story ideas for her latest book. The next page contained notes, mostly about work. She started reading the third page and felt as if her heart had been ripped from her chest. It was the eulogy she had written for her father.

 _Max is dead?!_

The tears began to fall. A sense of betrayal fell over her. Why hadn't Booth bothered to correct her misconception when she mentioned Max the night before? Anger at him, at herself and her current situation coursed through her, followed by a sense of profound helplessness.

…

Booth found her on the couch in their family room, her tear-stained face worrying him. He had caught a look on her face earlier on, but with the children around he had not dared to ask.

"You remembered something didn't you?" Booth asked as he walked towards her, wondering why it was the sad memories that came back.

Brennan folded her arms across her chest in a defensive posture as she rose to meet him.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Her anger and feelings of loss bursting out in a shout.

He was taken aback by the anger apparent in her voice.

"There's so much to tell you, what – " His gaze fell onto the black notebook she was still clutching. "Max."

"You let me think that he was still alive!"

"I didn't know how to tell you Bones! I was hoping you'd remember. I was… we've been through so much since we got together, I wasn't sure how much you could take, how much I should tell you."

"So you took the easy way out? Just wait for my memories to come back to save you the trouble?! At the very least, you could have had the decency to correct my misconception that my father was still alive!"

"Look Bones I'm sorry."

The image of the blonde woman and Christine pleading with her to let her father stay the night flashed through her mind again. Another new memory. She was sitting in the car with Booth as he drove through the pouring rain. She had been soaked to the skin by that same rain. She remembered the immense pain she had felt. She had been rejected by Booth. Had it been then that he had confessed to his infidelity to her? Was it then that she had caught him in the arms of another woman? The images and memories were coming back to her in a confusing jumble.

"You said we had been through a lot… did you betray me?"

Booth took a step back. She must have remembered his gambling. Back then, he had kept the fact that he had gambled from her. He had betrayed her trust. He didn't want to continue lying to her now.

"Yes." His voice desperate. He worried she would kick him out of the house again, just like that night when she had confronted him about his gambling.

The pain of betrayal gnawing at her heart intensified and she sobbed. He had admitted to his past infidelity with the blonde in her memory. She now knew why she had kicked him out of the house. Was he still cheating on her? Were they even living together before the explosion? She remembered she was pregnant with Hank, so it had to have happened some time ago. Did they even get back together? Her thoughts were still a confused mess ass she cried.

His heart broke at seeing her in such anguish. He cautiously took small steps towards her, wanting to comfort her. "Bones…"

"No. Don't come any closer. I'd like to be left alone."

"Bones… don't do this. Don't go through this alone."

"And yet you betrayed me. You lied to me."

Booth nodded, a sinking feeling in his gut. He figured she hated him. He was terrified his worst fears had come true. If she didn't remember that they were married then there would be no reason for her to remain with him.

"Okay, if that's what you want." Booth sighed defeatedly. "I'll go."

He turned to leave, grabbing his jacket and car keys.

"I may have messed up… a lot, but for what it's worth Bones, I love you. I always have. Don't forget that."

Brennan waited for Booth to leave, before collapsing onto the couch. She cried, until exhausted she fell asleep.

Her dreams were filled with regret, of Booth in the arms of another woman. She dreamt that she had lost her chance with Booth and woke up with a start. She realized she was still on the couch and very much alone. That was of her own doing. She had asked him to leave.

And then it all came back to her in a rush. Booth had started gambling again and he had hidden the fact from her. She wasn't sure exactly when that particular event occurred but she remembered everything related to it. Christine asking when her Dad would be back. The bookie Jimmy at her doorstep, informing her that Booth owed him a lot of money. She remembered Aubrey helping her pay off Jimmy, remembered confronting Booth, throwing him out of the house. She recalled how hard he had worked to show her he could overcome his addiction, remembered how determined he was to save their marriage. She remembered being pregnant with Hank then. The memory brought her comfort. At least, she was starting to remember her children.

Then she realised she had been wrong about Booth. She still couldn't recall who the blonde woman was, but she knew the woman was not part of the memory associated with Booth's gambling. Had he betrayed her in more ways than once?

The part of her that had known Booth for years told her that it was illogical for him to be unfaithful to her. Even as her partner he had been loyal. Wouldn't he be more so as a husband? Confused she rose form the couch and made her way slowly to the bedroom. The large empty bed made her start crying again. She was angry and she missed Booth. She hated the feelings of loss and helplessness that pervaded her being. Exhausted from the emotional upheaval she was experiencing, she collapsed onto the bed, quickly falling into a fitful sleep.

 ** _I apologize for the large serving of angst in this chapter. But I think those who've read enough of my fics know that I like to dish it out now and then._**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Thank you once again to all who reviewed, guests included. Glad you all rather enjoyed the angst._** ** _Poppyblue5_** **** ** _(resolution on it's way),_** ** _FicFanofFanFic, LoveShipper (it's momentary), FaithinBones you're right about that), chanevlovesbones, regbride12 (we all could have benefited from a full season 12), aadams00_** ** _,_** ** _554Laura, Felinxx, gatewatcher, yoshimi0701, jsboneslover, GalaxieGurl (lol, actually I dislike them being at odds too. Won't be dragged out too long)._**

The morning sun shining on her face woke her and Brennan groaned as she opened her eyes. Her head hurt and the muscles in her body ached. She blinked, trying to gather her thoughts. A momentary disorientation, then her brain caught up. She reminded herself of the events of the past two days. She had been in an explosion that had resulted in her amnesia. She was married to Booth and they had two children together. She was in their house, on the bed that she shared with her husband. Her husband whom her brain still thought was just her partner. This was the second morning she repeated these facts to herself.

Her stomach growled, reminding her she was hungry. The clock on her bedside table informed her it was ten in the morning. She wasn't the kind to sleep in. A memory of Booth making her breakfast flashed in her mind. She was pregnant and they were in the kitchen of his tiny apartment.

Booth. His name brought a brief flash of anger, followed by a deep longing. She missed him.

She slowly climbed out of bed and went about getting ready for the day. She stepped into the shower, the hot water soothing the ache in her body that seemed to be eating away at her bones. She shook her head. That was not physically possible. She stood under the hot shower, closing her eyes, hoping for a memory to return. After a moment, she remembered the feeling of Booth's calloused hands on her naked body. She heard their pleasured moans in her mind. The memory that came back was of them making love in the shower. She groaned, angry at herself that her body wanted him.

Stepping out of the shower she resolved to call him later. It was logical to assume he had spent the night at Aubrey's with their children. Getting dressed she managed half a bowl of yoghurt for breakfast before deciding she had lost her appetite. As she walked past the windows of her house she spied Booth's SUV in the driveway. Curious she opened the front door.

Booth was sitting in the driver's seat, his head tilted back at an awkward angle, seemingly asleep. She made her way to the truck, careful to open the driver side door slowly. The action jarred Booth awake. He grimaced.

"Ouch!" He grimaced. "Bones." His voice was hoarse and he had a day-old stubble on his face. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. What are you doing asleep here?"

Booth gave her a sheepish grin. "You asked me to leave last night."

"I remember that."

"I wanted to give you space. I knew you were really mad at me. But I didn't want to be far. Just in case something happened and you needed me. I got in the car and drove around for awhile, then came home."

"You spent the night in your car?"

"Yeah."

"It couldn't have been comfortable."

"Isn't the first time I've done it."

She tilted her head, looking at him questioningly.

"I mean, it's no different from when I have stakeouts with Aubrey." He clarified.

"You should come in."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"You're not mad at me anymore?"

"I realized I may not have been entirely fair to you." Brennan closed her eyes, letting out a frustrated breath. "Things are coming back to me in flashes that do not seem to be in chronological order. I'm hesitant to trust what my brain is telling me."

"But at least stuff's coming back."

"Yes, but we should carry on this conversation inside." Booth looked tired and she felt a little guilty for asking him to leave the night before.

"Right."

Brennan took a step back, making space for Booth to gingerly climb out of his SUV. He stepped out of the vehicle, slamming the door shut. His action sent a stab of pain to his ribs and he clutched his chest, trying to catch his breath.

"Are you okay?" Brennan asked, noticing his discomfort.

"Yeah, yeah, just needed to catch my breath."

"Maybe I should take you to the hospital. You seem in worse shape than I am."

"No." Booth smiled to himself. She couldn't be all that angry at him if she was showing him concern. "I'm okay."

She started back towards the house and he slowly followed behind her.

"You must be hungry. You were always hungry. That much I remember. You should eat some breakfast." Brennan said as they entered their house.

"Now you're beginning to make me sound like Aubrey. I don't eat every ten minutes."

"Aubrey eats every ten minutes? That must be an extremely heavy load on his pancreas."

"Yeah pretty much. I still can't figure out how he's still that skinny though."

Brennan opened the fridge, pouring Booth a glass of orange juice. "It might be attributed to his basal metabolic rate. It must be higher than most people. Would you like some cereal?"

"Nah. I'm not that hungry."

As Booth took a sip from the glass that Brennan had handed him, he marvelled at how much normalcy that moment that just passed had held. For a second, he could forget her amnesia and all the things he had been keeping from her. For a second, they were back to the way they were before the explosion, having a seemingly mundane conversation in the kitchen before work.

"I'd like some answers. I have so many questions." Brennan started.

"Yeah of course." Booth nodded towards the couch, placing the glass back on the counter. The moment was good while it lasted.

The couple settled themselves onto the couch in the family room. Brennan was never one for small talk.

"I remembered your gambling. Your bookie Jimmy came to our doorstep, threatening us harm if he didn't get the money you owed him back."

Booth ducked his head, staring at his shoes, allowing her to continue.

"It happened while I was pregnant with Hank."

"Yeah it happened like that." He turned to look at her, worrying that she would decide he was too messed up to stay married to. "I'm so sorry. That night, I should've just come clean and fessed up. I shouldn't have lied when you confronted me."

"I remember how hard you worked to make things right. You attended GA meetings."

"So you remember everything from my relapse? And everything after that?"

"No. Just that specific memory came back. It helped me remember that I was pregnant with Hank. At least for that part of my pregnancy."

"That's… really good."

"You said you betrayed me."

"Yeah."

"You were referring to keeping your gambling a secret from me."

"Yes."

"I also remembered seeing you with a woman. A blonde. You seemed happy together. I was in your car. I was crying. It was a rainy night. Did you…" trying to say the words hurt. The pain of rejection felt like a scab that had been torn off a wound that had recently healed over. "…did you betray me with someone else?"

Booth stared into her eyes. "No Bones. I would never, ever cheat on you. I swear. When you asked if I had betrayed you, I thought you were talking about me gambling."

She nodded, accepting his explanation. What he was telling her was true to what she knew of him. "Was that woman a figment of my imagination?"

Booth shook his head slightly, sighing. "Hannah. That woman you remember? She was my ex. Look I'm sorry. I – you sure you wanna hear this? I mean you're starting to remember stuff. Maybe it'll all come back tomorrow then you won't have to be hurt again."

"I'd like to know Booth."

"Okay." Booth sighed. "I'll start from the beginning." He didn't want to keep anything from her anymore. Lying to her was taking its toll and he felt it eating away at him from the inside.

"When I left for Afghanistan, I came back with a girlfriend. Hannah."

"You did say you had to move on."

"I tried to build a life with her. Tried to convince myself I loved her. Maybe I did, but not as much as I love you. We were working this case, that night you're taking about, I followed you to a rough neighborhood. It was raining. I saved you from getting run over by a car. I was taking you home when you said you realized it had been a mistake to turn me down. You didn't want any regrets. You wanted to be with me. But I… I told you I couldn't leave Hannah. I'm so sorry Bones. I didn't know what to do. I should've done things differently. But I said no and I hurt you."

"Well something must have happened after that. You didn't marry Hannah but me instead right?"

"Yeah about that." Booth laughed nervously. "So after hearing that you finally wanted to be with me, I stupidly decided that I wanted to marry her. I think I was desperate to convince myself I made the right choice. Choosing her over you. I was too rash. I should've taken some time to think things through. Thinking back, I didn't love her. I was probably in love with the idea of being in love with someone and I just wanted to force things to work. But anyway, she's a reporter. She wasn't the settle down and get married type. Thank God she said no. I was so angry. I was convinced I would spend the rest of my life alone. I was such jerk, even when you tried to be there for me after my break-up with Hannah."

Booth paused to smile at her. "But you… you stood by me. Even when I was an undeserving ass. You took me to shoot Tommy guns on Valentine's Day not too long after the break-up. You were… no, you're amazing Bones. I don't know how I got so lucky."

He nodded at the blue stadium seats down the hall. "Then a couple of months after I broke up with Hannah, we were at the Diner and I saw those seats. I wanted them because – "

"Your Dad!" Brennan suddenly shouted. "That one perfect day when your Dad was sober and he took you to the Vets Stadium!" She smiled excitedly. "I remember! There was a blizzard. We were stuck in the elevator! We had a case to solve and we were trying to get out. You injured your back. We talked about what it would be like to make love. After we got out… we were at your apartment. We talked about trying to be together once I was less impervious and you were not angry anymore. Am I correct?"

"Yeah Bones! It happened just like that!"

"And then the event with Vincent dying. It took place not too long after that."

Booth wanted to jump up and hug her. She was remembering. He settled for grinning broadly at her. "Your memories are coming back."

"Yes." She smiled back at him. "Why didn't you tell me? It wasn't all bad."

He grew serious. "I didn't tell you because I was afraid. The doc said I shouldn't rush you. I guess I took it to mean not telling you anything. I was wrong. I was scared. I made a lot of mistakes. Screwed up a lot. But here you are, still putting up with my crap, my past. I was scared if I had to tell you everything again, you might change your mind about me."

Booth stared at the ground again. Avoiding her eyes. He was determined to come clean with her.

"About Max. He um… he died trying to protect our kids from the men Kovac had sent to kill them. It's my fault. They were at an FBI safe house but Kovac tracked them using the pacemaker inside Max. If not for him, we would have lost Hank and Christine. I couldn't tell you because I didn't want you to know. I didn't want you to leave. I'm sorry Bones, it was all my fault. Your father is dead because of me."

There was a moment of silence, before he felt her take his hand in hers. She squeezed, demanding his eye contact. Their eyes met.

"None of what you just told me puts you at fault for my father's death. You didn't send the men to kill our children. You didn't pull the trigger. You are not responsible for Max's death. I was upset at you for not telling me. Not because I blame you."

"If it wasn't for what I did in the past…"

"No Booth. I know about your past. I accepted it then, while we were partners. Forgetting the life we built together doesn't change that fact. Max must have loved our children. He must have loved being a Grandpa."

Booth nodded. "He did."

"He would have done anything he could to protect our children, including giving his life. He was the same with Russ and me. I don't blame you Booth."

Booth smiled, filled with a rush of relief then joy.

"I'm glad you're not withholding anything from me."

"Actually there's more." His head suddenly felt light but he was determined to continue. "Sweets, he ah… he's dead."

Brennan stared at Booth in disbelief. "What? How? When?"

"I'm not sure how much more your mind, your emotions can take Bones. I'm telling you years of our life together in one morning."

"I have to know Booth."

"Okay… but…" Booth's head started to pound and the room started to spin. He leaned back against the couch, closing his eyes. "'I'm…"

"Booth are you okay?" Brennan asked, noticing his discomfort.

"I just… maybe I need a drink of water…" Booth tried to stand but then the room spun in dizzying circles and his vision started to tunnel. Then everything went black. The last thing he heard was Brennan shouting his name.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Apologies for making so many of you so worried about Booth. He's a big, strong guy. He'll be okay. Really appreicate everyone who took the time to leave a review, guests and familiar "faces". Glad to know you're all enjoying the story._** ** _LoveShipper, Felinxx, Michelle Bones_** ** _,_** ** _kareneb (lol, well you know me and cliffhangers), Nelapl (how true),_** ** _Victoria,_** ** _Moniurek, bookwormlady, RobinAngelena, GalaxieGurl, FaithinBones, MstgSzy,_** ** _jsboneslover,_** ** _554Laura, Crash22244, gatewatcher, adorkablesalad (appreciate those kind words), yoshimi0701, Poppyblue5, wentzer_** ** _,_** ** _regbride12, Aurorra Rose._**

 ** _Hope I didn't make everyone wait too long before resolving this cliffhanger._**

Brennan sat nervously in the ambulance as it sped towards the hospital, her hand holding Booth's tightly. She shouldn't have pushed him into revealing everything to her. Shouldn't have told him to leave the night before. She after all, hadn't been the only one injured in the explosion. Her eyes darted to the screen monitoring his vital signs. He was stable, she drew comfort from that fact. She heard him groan. She watched as his eyes slowly opened.

"Booth!"

The paramedic signalled to her that he wanted to check the patient.

"Sir. Can you hear me?"

"What?" Booth's voice was muffled by the oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth.

"You passed out at home. Your wife called 911."

As if only then realizing his hand was in hers, he slowly turned his head in her direction. "Bones… you okay?"

"Why are you asking me that? You're the one who lost consciousness."

"I – I was talking to you, then things got fuzzy and the room was spinning."

"Yes. I shouldn't have threw you out last night…"

"Is… not your fault Bones."

He still looked weak and his face looked pale. Brennan worried he might have aggravated his rib injuries and was bleeding internally. Her eyes again checked his blood pressure which seemed to be lower than usual.

At that moment the ambulance screeched to a stop outside the ER. The doors swung open. Their roles were now reversed from the night of the explosion. Brennan was the one waiting nervously as Booth got examined by the doctors. After hours of nervous waiting, Booth was given the all clear and allowed to go home.

"This is getting too frequent for our good." Booth remarked as Brennan entered his hospital room.

"I'm sorry."

"What the hell for?"

"Your loss of consciousness was a result of extreme exhaustion and dehydration. I'm relieved your cracked ribs were not further injured… your body is still healing and all I cared about was myself."

"What are you talking about Bones? You didn't do anything wrong. Nothin' a couple of hours in the ER hooked up to an IV couldn't cure. Besides I feel fine now okay?"

"I shouldn't have kicked you out of the house. You hardly had any rest in your truck last night. Adding the emotional and psychological stress I put on you… I'm apologizing for that."

"Not your fault. It's just… a difficult time for us now."

"And we will get through it." She offered him a small smile.

He smiled back. "I like your confidence."

"I spoke to Angela. She's taking Hank and Christine for tonight. I think Aubrey needs a break and the kids are looking forward to a sleepover with her son Michael-Vincent. I waited several hours for you. I took the time to clarify some facts with her, for example her son's name, how Hodgins got paralyzed… Sweets' death and the birth of the son he had with Daisy."

"Right. I was gonna tell you all that."

"It wouldn't have been fair to place that burden on you. It's a tremendous amount of stress. While I am upset to learn of Sweets' demise, I had time to process it. While upset about losing a friend, I now find that I'm more concerned for your well-being. I can take you home now."

"You sure? I mean I usually do the driving."

"Usually. But not all the time. I have not forgotten how to operate an automobile."

"Okay. Glad to know that one." He started to remove his hospital gown. Clad only in his boxers, he noticed Brennan's eyes on him.

"Like what you see?" He teased.

Brennan frowned. "I've seen you without a shirt on before Booth. Remember the Santa who exploded? Or when I burst in while you were naked in your tub, reading some comic book with your beer hat."

He wanted to make a flirtatious joke but stopped when he saw the serious look on her face.

She stepped towards him, her fingers brushing the bruises on his sides. "I'm sorry. I should have taken more notice, you were injured in the blast too. It wasn't fair of me to demand so much out of you."

Booth placed his index finger over her lips to silence her. "Enough of the blame game okay? You're okay and so am I. This little thing with your amnesia's tough on us but we'll get through it. Like you said."

"I'm glad we agree on something."

She helped him pull his t-shirt over his head, gently guiding his arms through the armholes. She wondered to herself why she had been so afraid to accept Booth's love for her years ago. As he pulled his shirt down, a new memory flashed in her mind. They were in their bedroom. He was removing his t-shirt. He had bruises all over his ribs much like the ones he had now. She had kissed him. They had made love.

"Angela told me you were wrongly imprisoned for three months. On the night you came home, you had bruises to your ribs. You were beaten in prison."

"You remember that?"

"Yes, it just came back to me." She wrapped her arms round his waist, mindful of his cracked ribs. She looked intently into his eyes. "Although I still have to remind myself that I'm married to you, the thought of losing you is unbearable."

"Yeah I guess we were both in love with each other for a long time. We just took an even longer time to act on it."

She gently rested her head on his shoulder, relishing the feel of being in his arms. No pressure to remember their life together as a couple. After a moment she spoke, "I remember that night when you came home. We made love. It felt very good."

Booth felt himself react to her breath on his neck, her body pressed against his and her words. He pushed her away gently, slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry." He grinned sheepishly.

"If you're referring to your erection, there's nothing to be sorry about. We're husband and wife aren't we?"

"Yeah but you can't remember much of that yet. It just doesn't feel right. I shouldn't be taking advantage of you."

"I'm very much looking forward to the return of my memories then. I failed to tell you that this morning in the shower, I remembered that our tub and shower are places where we like to engage in intercourse. It seems my body remembers that you have been the one satisfying me sexually."

"Bones…" Booth hissed. "This isn't the time and place to be talking about this."

"You're right." Brennan conceded. "Nonetheless, you still do have an excellent physique. I'm still very attracted to your impressive acromia."

"Er, thanks." Booth slowly pulled on his jeans then put on his shoes.

"We shouldn't be thinking about intercourse. Not until our physical injuries are healed at least."

"Right." Since the explosion, making love to her hadn't even crossed his mind.

"Let's go home Booth." She smiled. "I'll need you to provide directions though. My brain still cannot recall where our residence is and that one trip home from the hospital for me isn't as crystal clear as I wish it to be."

Her memory had always been excellent but her amnesia had affected her confidence in herself.

"Sure thing Bones."

The couple made it home without further incident. As they entered the house, an image flashed across Brennan's mind. Their house was a mess. Their furniture destroyed. She stopped in the middle of the family room. Booth who had been following closely behind her stopped too. He figured she might have had another memory return to her. She stood, staring at the floor. An image of Booth lying motionless on the ground, his clothes soaked with his own blood flashed across her mind. A feeling of immense fear for his life flooded her. She turned round to face him.

"You were in a firefight. In the middle of our living room. It wasn't this house. It was the house before this."

"Yeah." Booth nodded.

"You almost died."

"You remembered that night."

"I was so angry at you for making me leave with Christine. That was the night they took you away from Christine and me, to prison."

Again Booth wondered why she was remembering all the tough times in their relationship.

"I almost lost you."

"But you didn't." Booth held out his arms, and she stepped into them. He pulled her to him, holding her tightly, rubbing soothing circles round her back.

"I don't want to lose you."

"I'm not going anywhere. Promise." Though sad that she was upset, his wife's declaration brought him a measure of comfort. She wasn't going to leave him either.

She stared into his warm, brown eyes. In them she saw where she belonged. Her heart ached, regretting that she had forgotten all the memories they had created together.

"I wish I didn't lose my memories. Everything we went through brought us to this point. I'm upset I have lost all those times we had together, with the children."

"Hey you didn't lose them. This is only what? Day three? Let's give that brilliant brain of yours some time okay?"

He offered her a small smile, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "You keep remembering stuff, so it'll all come back soon."

"My memories are coming back in flashes. I wish they would be more coherent."

"It'll all come back. I just know. Just like I knew we were meant to be together."

Brennan nodded. "I think we should get some rest. Especially since you didn't get much sleep last night."

"In our bed?"

"Of course. Last night, I let my frustrations and emotions get the better of me. I know better now. I won't make you leave again."


	8. Chapter 8

**_Thank you for your patience in waiting for this chapter._**

 ** _Thank you shout outs:_** ** _kareneb_** ** _,_** ** _Nelapl,_** ** _RobinAngelena_** ** _,_** ** _554Laura, LoveShipper_** ** _,_** ** _GalaxieGurl (I chalk it all up to a 12 episode season and trying to "fix" everything quickly), FaithinBones, regbride12, aadams00, yoshimi0701_** ** _,_** ** _ZinaR, Julie SBXMomX and guests. Thank you for your reviews. As always I always look forward to reading what you all think about my work._**

Booth woke the next morning feeling disorientated. Out of habit, he reached for his wife. Her side of the bed was empty. He blinked and as he began to feel more awake, he remembered the events of the past few days. Suddenly worried she had forgotten everything and left him, he sprung out of bed, wincing as his ribs protested his actions. Grimacing he walked out of his room, fearful that he would find the house empty.

"Booth. You're awake."

Her voice flooded him with relief. She was seated at the island at the center of their kitchen. Evidence of a breakfast eaten was on the counter.

"Bones." He slowly walked up to her. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"I wanted to let you rest."

"Yeah um, thanks." He stared at her for a moment, afraid to ask. He figured if her amnesia was gone, it would have been the first thing she told him.

"Do you feel better?"

Booth nodded. "Yeah. I think."

"Coffee. You always need your coffee to help you become more fully awake. You were like that even when we were partners."

She poured him a cup, handing it to him. He accepted, sipping the hot liquid as he stood opposite her.

"I managed to find most of the things in the kitchen. It took me some time though."

"So um… sleep okay?"

"Yes. Although when I woke up, I forgot momentarily that we are married and wondered if we were undercover."

"Right." He stared at the black coffee in his mug. "Remember when we were forced into therapy with Sweets? We said if there was no more crime in the world…"

"We'd still meet for coffee." She offered him a smile.

He smiled back, recalling that their friendship had already been solid then and the burgeoning feelings of love were already growing inside him, even if he hid them well. "Yeah."

"No matter what happens we're the center and the center will hold."

He grinned back at her, glad that she was bringing up the past that she remembered.

"Angela is coming by with Hank and Christine later this afternoon."

"You sure about this?"

"Our children have to come home Booth."

"Yeah they do."

"If my memory doesn't come back – "

"Bones you gotta stop saying that. It will all right? Just give yourself some time."

"If it doesn't," Brennan continued, ignoring him for a moment, "I would need time to get to know them again. Keeping them away from their home hasn't been fair to them."

"You're right. And, I'm sure you'll get your memory back Bones."

The couple spent the rest of the day catching up on the reality of being a married couple with two young children. Much housework had been neglected in the past few days since the Kovac case and they set about doing the laundry and changing the sheets on Christine's sheets and Hank's crib.

"He's gonna need a big boy bed soon." Booth remarked as they exited Hank's room. "He's getting big."

Brennan took Booth's hand, surprising him. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"This past couple of days has been stressful. I've wanted my memories back so desperately. Doing these mundane chores by your side has reminded me how much I enjoy just being with you. You have patiently reminded me where everything is and where everything goes."

"Nothin' to it Bones. I love you." He shrugged somewhat shyly. "Never knew housework could be enjoyable though."

Before she could decide on an appropriate reply, the doorbell rang.

"That must be Angela." Brennan let her hand slip from Booth's grasp, heading for the living room. He sighed. She was so near yet a part of him missed the old her. The woman who had slowly evolved over the years, the woman who had been his wife. Now it still felt as if she was holding him at arm's length. Booth pushed his feelings aside, hoping that their children would not detect any changes in their mother's behaviour. As Booth entered the living room to join Brennan, Angela walked in with Hank and Christine.

"Door was unlocked." Angela explained.

"Mommy, Daddy!" Both children squealed.

Hank flung himself into Brennan's arms. Christine seeing that her mother was holding her little brother, started running towards Booth.

Worried that Christine would injure Booth's cracked ribs, Brennan called out to her daughter in a voice harsher than she had intended, "Christine, no! Your father is injured."

The little girl stopped in her tracks just before she reached Booth. Tears started to well up in her eyes, slipping down her cheeks.

"You're hurt Daddy? You promised you won't be!"

Booth quickly crouched down, gathering Christine into his arms gently.

"It's okay Pumpkin. Mommy's right. I was hurt, but so was Mommy. I told you that night when you came home for a little while remember? We got hurt before you had the sleepovers with Uncle Aubrey and Auntie Angela. I kept my promise that I made to you that day at my office. I didn't get hurt again."

"You promise Daddy?"

"Of course. Since when did I break any promises to you huh? I just can't carry you in my arms now, cause you're getting so big. But I sure can give you a hug. So you've got nothing to worry about. And once I'm all better, I'll pick you up and swing you round the way you like okay?"

Brennan watched guiltily as Booth held their daughter, certain that she had did something wrong as a mother. In her arms, Hank began to fuss. Whining, he rubbed his eyes.

"What's wrong Hank?" Brennan wrecked her brain, trying to figure out what was wrong with the boy. "Are you hungry?" She remembered baby Andy that Booth and her had taken care of so many years ago. She was fairly certain dancing phalanges would not satisfy her son. Afterall, he was older than baby Andy.

"He's probably tired Bones. It's close to his nap time."

"Oh." Brennan was starting to think that having her children home was a mistake. She didn't know how to be a mother to them at all. Leaving all the parenting to Booth alone didn't seem fair, given that he was recovering from his injuries.

"I should put him down for his nap." Brennan offered.

"Monkey!" Hank wailed.

"Monkey?" Brennan asked her son who looked like he was close to tears. He buried his face into the crook of Brennan's neck.

"I got this." Booth turned to look at Christine. "How about you and Mommy go read a book on the couch huh? I'll put Hank down for his nap then we can make some PB and J sandwiches."

"Okay!" Christine jumped onto the couch, patting the space next to her. "Read to me Mommy!"

Brennan glanced at Booth, then Angela, looking unsure.

"Sweetheart, you go pick the book and bring it here to your Mom okay?" Angela suggested.

"Okay!" Christine bounced off the couch, running to her room.

"I'll take him." Booth lifted Hank from Brennan's hips.

"No Booth your ribs – "

"Hank's smaller than Christine." He tried to hide the discomfort on his face. "It's just a short walk down the hall to his room. It's not a problem."

"If you guys need me to stay and help, I'd be glad to." Angela offered.

"You've helped us a whole lot Angela. Thanks." Booth was quick to reply. "You need your rest too."

"Yes, you're pregnant. It must be exhausting." Brennan added. "Although I still can't recollect much of that part of my life."

"Things will be okay Sweetie. If you're in any doubt, or have a question about anything, anything at all, you call me." Angela gave Brennan a hug, then kissed Hank on the cheek. "Be good baby Booth."

Brennan turned to Booth after Angela left.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset Christine. It appears I don't know how to be a mother."

"Don't be so hard on yourself Bones. You're a quick learner. You're smart. The children would be okay. They just are happy to be home."

Christine returned with two books in hand. "I'm ready Mommy."

"You'll do great Bones." Booth nodded encouragingly at her.

Christine took her mother's hand, leading her to the couch. "I'll be gentle with you Mommy. You and Daddy got hurt and need to get better."

The little girl's words almost made her cry. "Thank you."

Christine giggled. "Why are you thanking me Mommy?"

Brennan shook her head. It was evident their little girl had inherited her father's sensitive, caring spirit.

"I'll be right back." Booth smiled at the two women in his life, then turned towards Hank's room.

Little Hank was so tired and at the same time so happy to be in his own crib that he fell asleep without fussing soon after his father laid him down in his crib and kissed the top of his head. Booth returned to the living room, watching from a distance as Brennan read to Christine. He smiled to himself, glad that his family was now all together under one roof. Brennan was a wonderful mother, she had doubted her abilities to be mother when she was pregnant with Christine, but she needn't had worried. He wished she could remember that.

As the story ended, Christine snuggled up to her mother. "I'm happy to be home Mommy. I'm hungry though."

"Would you like the sandwiches your father mentioned?"

"Yes and apple slices. You always give me fruits for snacks."

"Thank you for reminding me again Christine."

The little girl giggled. "Daddy said we need to help you remember things now. He said it'll take some time before you can remember things, just like an elephant!"

Her comment made Brennan laugh.

"Hey don't listen to her Bones. I never said you were an elephant. I said your memory was like an elephant's." Booth spoke, making his presence known. "Now let's get something to eat okay?"

"Yeah!" Christine jumped off the couch, heading to the kitchen counter, leaving her parents to themselves for a brief moment.

Booth offered a hand to Brennan. "You did great with her, Bones."

An idea hit him. "You know how we've been trying so hard to do stuff to help get your memory back. Why don't we forget about that for now huh? Maybe there's too much pressure on you. On us. Let's just assume for awhile, we aren't trying to make it all come back."

"Why?"

Booth shrugged. "For fun. Cause the kids are home. Cause I told the FBI I'm not going back to work till you're you again. Cause you don't have to go back to the lab till it's fixed. Tomorrow, let's do something fun, like old times. Without the kids... I know! Let's go on a date."

"But Hank and Christine just got home."

"We could spend the morning with them. I'm sure Aubrey wouldn't mind coming over to watch them for the day. We've got lots of food in the fridge. I'm thinking lunch at the Royal Diner, maybe a trip to any museum of your choice. Then, dinner some place nice. Just us."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. It'll be fun. Whaddya say Bones? Go out with me?"

"Okay I think. You sure you won't be bored at a museum?"

"Not with you around Bones."


	9. Chapter 9

**_LoveShipper,_** ** _RobinAngelena,_** ** _Nelapl, kareneb, xfkate417, topaz270, 554Laura, GalaxieGurl_** ** _,_** ** _Felinxx, aadams00_** ** _,_** ** _gatewatcher, FaithinBones_** ** _,_** ** _Victoria (I wish I could have the time to post more frequently too, it's definitely more fun than my day job), regbride12_** ** _,_** ** _ZinaR,_** ** _jsboneslover. Thank you guys for loving the previous story and here's the date you guys wanted to "see". Thank you to all guests who reviewed too._**

The next morning was spent as planned with their two children. Little Hank did not seem to notice anything amiss about his mother, and Christine had accepted Booth's explanation that her mother had been hurt at work. Aubrey showed up just before lunch and after goodbye kisses and promises to be back that night, the couple left for the Royal Diner.

Sitting at their usual table in the diner with Brennan stealing Booth's fries, the couple talked about mundane things. Booth was careful not to bring up anything about their life together but was happy to bicker over the merits of organic food and her preference for books over sports with her. It was a dance they had perfected over the years. From the smiles on their faces, nobody would have guessed anything was different between them. Brennan had never like pie, she had informed him a long time ago that she didn't like her fruit cooked. She only started liking it while she was pregnant with Christine. When she asked him if she could have a bite out of his blueberry pie, he knew somewhere deep inside, the Brennan that had changed over the years was still there, waiting to resurface.

After lunch they took a leisurely stroll in the park then headed to an art museum. True enough Booth wasn't bored. He was simply happy to listen to the sound of her excited voice in his ear, busy explaining to him why each piece of ancient art held such great historical significance. Dinner was a surprise Booth managed to pull together at the very last moment. As they pulled up to their dinner venue, he wondered if she remembered where they were.

"This is Dr Gordon Wyatt's restaurant."

"Yeah." Booth grinned. "I told Gordon Gordon we were coming."

"You didn't bring me here for the purpose of him talking to me did you? He is a psychologist."

"What? No. He's a chef now. Don't let him hear you say that. He doesn't like it. His food's really good. You remember that don't you?"

"Yes. I remember. He cooked for us at your apartment before."

Booth got out of his truck, still careful with his injured ribs. He took her hand in his for the first time that day as she exited the SUV, leading her to the small restaurant.

"No chef's table this time?" Brennan asked as they settled into a corner table at the end of the restaurant.

"Nah. I told Gordon Gordon we needed some privacy."

"Dr Brennan! Agent Booth. So good to see you again! I'm so sorry to hear about what happened at the lab."

"Booth told you what happened?" Brennan asked as the psychologist turned chef enveloped her in a hug.

"About you forgetting that you were married?"

"Yes."

"He may have mentioned it. But I'm not here to fix you, if that's what you're worried about. My job tonight is simply to serve up a fabulous meal. Starters would be here in a moment."

"Thanks Gordon Gordon." Booth grinned, shaking the man's hand.

A waiter brought them a bottle of wine and Booth poured them each a glass. Dinner was pleasant and their conversation again steered clear of their life together until Brennan brought it up.

"Our children exhibit signs of great intelligence."

"Yeah. They probably got it from me."

Brennan rolled her eyes.

"Okay the both of us."

"You must be very proud of them."

"Yeah I'm proud of all three of them. So are you. You're really a great Mom. They're so smart cause you read to them all the time, you teach them stuff. Even Parker."

"I wish I remember how to be a Mom."

"There's no right or wrong way to be a parent. You love them and they know it and that's good enough."

"Booth, why do you love me?"

Booth reached across the table, taking her hand. "I just know that without you, my life is incomplete. You're an amazing woman and I've always loved you. Remember I told you we've been through some pretty rough stuff? You stood by me. When Pelant forced me to turn down your marriage proposal, when I was thrown in jail, my gambling. Jared. You stood by me. You may not remember some of that happening but you believed in me when nobody else would and that made me love you so much more. And it's not just because you had my children. Even if we didn't have Christine and Hank, I'd still love you. I'd still marry you."

"I guess I'm trying to find out why I married you. Why we got together."

"Does it really matter? Look at us Bones. You had a good time today didn't you?"

"Yes." She smiled. She couldn't deny that the day had been the best one since her amnesia. Booth spoke again, rubbing her knuckles gently.

"You know, today, it's like nothing's changed between us. I don't care if you don't get your memory back. You're still Temperance Brennan. You're still you. And I don't care if you can't remember why you decided to give me a chance, why we got married. You're still the woman I love."

She smiled a watery smile at him. She was genuinely touched by his words.

"I think you're as beautiful now as you were the day I saw you at American University. Still think you're as hot as you were that night when we kissed outside the pool hall. You've got this awesome big heart and you're such a strong woman and I'm just so crazy in love with you. Nothing's gonna change that."

"I too was thinking about us and this life we have together. If I were to be entirely honest with myself, I now know I had always been in love with you. Fear of losing you as a friend stopped me from saying yes when you asked that night outside the FBI. But now, with the benefit of hindsight, I can see that I was wrong. I should have trusted you. I should not have based my decisions on my past experiences. Because you're not like anyone I knew."

"Thanks." He dropped his gaze to her lips. He missed the physical aspect of their relationship. The little touches they exchanged, intimate hugs, kisses, making out, making love.

"I've asked myself over and over if I love with you, and the answer is always yes. Like you, I've come to the conclusion that getting my memories back is immaterial. We can still continue to build our life together, with our children. It's a pity I cannot remember the times that brought us to this point. A pity I still can't remember our wedding."

"Hey I'll show you pictures when we get home. It's a real good story too. It almost didn't happen you know."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I guess you can say if not for Angela, we wouldn't have gotten married." He noticed her gaze too was lingering on his lips.

He leaned forward, just as she leaned towards him. Just as their lips were about to meet, a distinctly British voice interrupted them.

"Dessert."

The couple sprang apart.

Gordon Wyatt stood grinning at them. "Oh don't mind me, carry on."

"We were just…" Booth wondered why he felt like he needed to explain why he was about to kiss his wife.

"Don't you worry Agent Booth. Just like I told you so long ago, all you need is patience."

"Thank you Dr Wyatt. For a lovely meal. This dessert looks very appetizing." Brennan seemed to have changed her interest to the creamily decadent dessert on the table.

"I'll leave you to it then. Perhaps the next time you two visit, bring your children along. I'd love to see them again."

"Yeah, we'll do that." Booth nodded his thanks.

The evening ended and as Booth and Brennan walked up the driveway to their house, they both stopped at the front door. It felt like a first date to Booth as he pushed his hands into the pockets of his pants nervously.

"So had a good time Bones?"

"Yes."

"We should do it again. That is if, Aubrey doesn't mind babysitting again."

"According to you, as long as we have a well-stocked refrigerator, he wouldn't mind right?"

Booth chuckled. "Right."

"We should get inside."

"Yeah… I just…" Booth's gaze again fell to her lips. "Maybe we should…" He leaned towards her, his lips brushing hers.

He felt her grab at the lapels of his jacket as he tried to pull away. She pressed her lips to his, deepening the kiss. Instinctively, his hands went for her hips, pulling her body flush against his. She couldn't help the moan that escaped her as an explosion of love and lust seemed to pool low in her abdomen, rushing though her. Their door suddenly opened and they sprang apart like guilty teenagers caught by an angry parent.

"What the hell Aubrey?!" Booth exclaimed.

"I thought I heard noises."

"We were just on our way in." Brennan replied a tad embarrassed.

"Did we make it home in time for curfew Dad?"

"No need for sarcasm Booth, I really didn't mean to interrupt."

"Are the children okay?" Her concern for their offspring gave Booth hope that she was remembering how to be a parent.

"Yeah, safely in bed."

The threesome entered the house.

"Thank you for babysitting Agent Aubrey." Brennan offered.

"Not a problem. You might want to restock your supply of snacks though."

"We'll do that. Thanks Aubrey."

"I'll go now, so you two an continue what I interrupted." Aubrey winked at Booth.

There was a moment of awkward silence after Aubrey left before Brennan asked, "Should we continue?"

"Do you want us to?"

"I find that I'd like it very much if we did. That kiss though not the first we've shared felt like a first time to me."

Booth grinned. "You sure?"

Brennan nodded. Booth moved towards her as she spoke, resting his hands on her lips, pulling her to him. "But we should not engage in intercourse, your ribs are still healing."

"Whatever you say Bones." Booth murmured against her lips as he took her into his arms again, kissing her languidly.

They stood in their living room kissing, enjoying the feel of each other's lips and tongues as their bodies reminded them of the pleasure they normally gave each other. Satisfied they grinned happily at each other as Booth took her hand, leading her to their children's rooms, as he made his nightly rounds to check on them before he went to bed.

The next morning Brennan woke in Booth's arms. She had the same momentary disorientation, but after a few seconds she remembered. Just like the mornings before, she remembered her amnesia and reminded herself that she was married to Booth. This particular morning, it felt natural. She still had no memory of their life together but she remembered what they talked about the night before in Gordon Wyatt's restaurant. Her lost memories would not affect their life together from now on. She smoothed a hand gently across his chest, her expert fingers probing his ribs.

"Bones! That hurts." He complained.

"Sorry. I can imagine that's not the way you wanted to be woken up."

"Definitely not."

"I just wanted to make sure your cracked ribs didn't become fractured."

"I'm fine Bones. We didn't do anything but kiss last night remember?"

"I remembered, but I was merely concerned for your wellbeing."

Brennan propped herself up on her elbow, looking down at Booth.

"Well? You remember anything?"

"If you're thinking that just like in the fairy tales where the prince kisses the princess and she wakes up from a coma – "

"It wasn't a coma Bones, she was sleeping, waiting for her true love to wake her up."

"The answer is no."

"Yeah figures. I mean I'm not a prince and you're not a princess so why should me kissing you last night work right?"

"Are you angry?"

"I'm a little disappointed but hey it doesn't matter. Like we agreed upon."

Brennan sat up in bed, removing her wedding ring that had been hanging from a necklace round her neck since that morning after the explosion.

"I'd like you to slip this back on my finger."

"I thought you said you'd wait till you get your memories back."

"I'm beginning to think they won't."

"Bones c'mon. Don't give up."

"I'm not. I'm simply accepting the fact that I'm married to you. And I want everyone to know that. That is a reason for the ring am I correct?"

"Yeah kinda." Booth grinned. "So you want the world to know you're mine?"

Brennan shrugged and smiled shyly. "Yes."

Booth sat up, a huge grin on his face. "I can go with that."

He took the ring from her, slipping it onto her ring finger just like that day when they exchanged vows. He pressed a kiss to her lips after, as if to seal the deal. Brennan held up the ring, admiring her hand.

"I like how it looks on my hand."

"Me too Bones."

"I love you Booth."

Booth stared at her for a moment, as if trying to decide if he was dreaming. He flashed her his charm smile. "I love you too Bones."

At that moment, Christine bounded into their room. "Mommy! Daddy! You're home!"

"Yeah we are Pumpkin."

"Would you like to climb into bed with us?" Brennan asked.

"Yeah!"

Christine jumped onto the bed.

"Be careful with your Dad, Sweetheart."

"I know, he hurt his ribs." Christine pointed at her father's chest. "I remember where the ribs are Mommy just like you taught me."

"That's wonderful Christine."

Booth watched with amazement at the exchange between mother and daughter. Just like old times. He pressed a kiss to Christine's head. "I'll go check on Hank. He should be up too."

Booth returned shortly with Hank in his arms. The little boy reached for his mother, and she instinctively welcomed him into her arms. The sight of his family on his bed warmed his heart. Booth blinked back tears.

"Everything okay Booth?"

"Everything's perfect Bones."


	10. Chapter 10

**_yoshimi0701, aadams00 (yes it is!), GalaxieGurl, LoveShipper (I can imagine it's hard to forget what it's like to kiss Booth)_** ** _,_** ** _kareneb (yup agree),_** ** _554Laura, jsboneslover, FaithinBones, Julie SBXMomX, gatewatcher, regbride12, Moniurek_** ** _,_** ** _lonelybacon, Aurorra Rose. And everyone else who reviewed as guests. Glad you all loved the fluff._**

 _Epilogue_

It was two weeks after the explosion when it happened. With the pressure to get her memories back removed from their shoulders, Brennan and Booth had settled nicely into their new normal. There were times when she did things differently from the old Brennan but Booth was always there to gently remind her that it was okay not to have an elephant's memory anymore. Brennan was content. Her family accepted her and that made her happier than she could ever remember.

It was something seemingly mundane in the Booth household that brought her lost memories back. Hank had climbed onto the couch, attempting to retrieve his toy tractor when he fell backwards onto the ground. His loud wail made Brennan who witnessed her son's tumble from the couch spring towards him. She took him into his arms cradling him to her.

"It's okay Hank. You're okay." She quickly assessed him for injuries and finding nothing worse than a little bump on his head, proceeded to rock the little boy in her arms. Pressing kisses to his head. Booth who was in one of the back rooms, heard the commotion and hurried out.

"Everything okay Bones?"

"Our little Tiger fell off the couch. He bumped his head." Brennan said, not actually realizing the significance of her words.

Since her amnesia, she had always addressed her son by his name rather than the nickname his father had given him while he was still in her womb.

Booth didn't seem to catch it too but took Hank into his arms, his concern for the still sobbing boy taking precedence. "You're okay buddy. Daddy's gotcha."

"Booth!" Brennan suddenly exclaimed, tearing.

"What?! Is Hank okay?" Booth worriedly turned Hank in his arms, running a hand through the boy's hair. "Did he cut his head? Is he bleeding or something?"

"No Booth, I remember!"

"Yeah? Another memory?"

"No, I mean, I remember. _Everything_."

"Everything?"

"Yes. Our wedding, giving birth to Christine in a barn, giving birth to our Tiger here at home. Parker's visit over Thanksgiving. I remember everything, how we got together… everything!"

"You sure?"

"Yes, you burnt the church down, the one we were supposed to get married at."

"You burnt a church down?" Christine who was listening in to her parent's animated exchange, asked.

"No, I just lit a candle for your Grandma, the woman you were named after." Booth looked at his wife who was blinking back tears.

"I remember Booth."

He stepped towards her, a grin on his face. "You remember."

"I remember the dress I wore, my Dad walking me down the aisle. Parker was there. We wrote our own vows…" She chuckled. "You told me we didn't have to chase each other any more because we caught each other. I reminded you I could be a duck."

"Yeah, yeah I said all that." Booth grinned.

They kissed, until Booth felt Christine tugging at his shirt.

"Daddy what's going on? Who's a duck?"

"Nothing Sweetheart. Mommy's just Mommy again. She's got her elephant memory back. She doesn't forget anymore. She remembers everything now. Just like old times."

"Yes, just like old times." Brennan grinned at her daughter, crouching down to give the little girl a hug.

Hank clearly over his fall from the couch, squirmed in Booth's arms. The two children not really understanding the significance of the moment went off to play.

Booth reached for Brennan, who settled into his arms, resting her head on his chest. "We got through it. Everything worked out."

"It always does babe, it always does."

"You know what Booth?"

"What?"

"I think your ribs might be healed enough for us to make love again."

"I think so too Bones."

"So tonight?"

"Definitely tonight." He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. She lifted her head off his chest and stared into his eyes.

"My Dad might be gone, but it's okay. I have you now. I always had you. I can depend on you, I trust you. I love you. For a time, I felt empty after Max died. And I'm sorry I never told you but now that I have all my memories back, I need you to know that I don't blame you for Dad's death. I never did. It's not your fault. You have to believe that. And you have to stop blaming yourself. It's not healthy to carry that guilt around."

"Whoa. How'd you know that?"

"Because I know you Booth."

Booth grinned, brushing his lips gently against hers. "Thanks Bones. It means a lot to me, what you said. I love you too. I'm glad I've got you in my corner too."

 ** _Short chapter I know. Sorry. This is the final chapter to this story. Thanks for following it through. I hope you guys won't find that I ended it too abruptly. The entire premise was to show that whatever happened, due to their deep rooted friendship (that Sweets pointed out in his book and we all saw), no matter what happens, even a memory loss, Brennan and Booth would always find each other, fall in love with each other. They had always been best friends (even if Brennan won't admit it) first, then lovers._**

 ** _And I'll make up for this very short chapter with another post on my other series. Keep a look out._**


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